Content Strategy, Part 2 of 4

Develop a post-type tool kit for yourself. There are many common formats for blog posts. When you are struck with writer’s block, it can help to have list of post types to get your brain gears spinning. Perhaps not all of these are suitable for your niche and writing style, but I bet a lot of them are! It’s a good idea to mix it up to keep your blog engaging.

BREAKING NEWS posts
These posts are driven by the latest news in your field, and generally must be covered in a timely manner.

EXPLAIN-A-CONCEPT posts
Take a small piece of your niche and explain it for the newbies. Break it down into the simplest terms. These work best with lots of imagery.

HOW-TO posts
Give step-by-step instructions for something just about anyone can do.

LINKS posts
Collect a bunch of resources and link out to them. To add extra value, keep them within a theme, and explain why you’ve included each one.

LISTS posts
Make a list of things that go together. This is a great way to explain a concept, but can also be a fun way to introduce readers to related ideas or historical details. List posts are highly digestible. Lots of viral content comes in this form.

OPINION posts
In any aspect of life there are controversies. Pick a side and pose your arguments.

INTERVIEW posts
Reach out and interview someone who has something interesting to say in your niche.

REVIEW posts
Are there publications, products, or services available in your niche? Pick one, try it out, and write a review.

DAY-IN-THE-LIFE posts
Do you science on the job or in your free time? Tell us about a day in your life. Or find someone who will share their day.

Content Strategy, Part 1 of 4

Today let’s begin creating a formal content strategy for your blog. This challenge could really be broken out into a dozen or more individual challenges! I will give you an overview of some of the many things that can inform your content strategy. Then I’ll suggest one exercise for today. Eventually, you may want to consider working on all of it.

This is the first of what was supposed to be a 28-Day Challenge on a Facebook page. However, it was very time-consuming and did not receive enough engagement at the time to keep me motivated to continue.

I do want to save my posts somewhere because they have some useful guidance for bloggers. I drew my information from books, blogs, and my 17 years’ experience in web design to help people

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About Dawn Pedersen

I am a science educator, web designer, artist, and mom. I have an AS degree in biology, a BA in fine art, and an MA in education. I have earned teaching credentials in biology and art. I have been designing for Web and print since 2000, and I taught high school and college for 12 years. I live in California.